Impressions
by kittykatloren
Summary: Never, in his entire life, had he seen swordplay quite like that. And from a woman, nonetheless. In the middle of the battlefield, he went slack-jawed, as if watching a spirit dance. FE4 Seisen no Keifu; Lex/Aira or Ayra? twoshot.
1. I

**A/N:** Another great Seisen pairing, Lex/Aira! This fic will be two parts, based mostly off the manga. The scenes are taken from there, but the dialogue is my own, as is the description. It would make more sense if you've read the manga, but it's not necessary at all. At least, I hope it makes sense! This was a weird piece for me to write, for some reason, but I hope it comes together.

Please read and review and enjoy!

* * *

Never, in his entire life, had he seen swordplay quite like that. And from a woman, nonetheless. In the middle of the battlefield, he went slack-jawed, as if watching a spirit dance. She might as well have been a spirit, with her exotic black hair and sharp beauty.

He didn't know what came over him then. But he could not resist challenging her. With a shout, he charged toward her, his voice catching her by surprise.

"What's a lady like you doing on the battlefield?"

She whipped around in just enough time to raise her blade against his axe; the resulting crash sent tremors up his arm. Quickly she leapt away to regain her composure. By the time Lex wheeled his horse around for another strike, she was ready for him, undercutting his blade and twisting the handle.

"Prepare to die," she hissed.

He growled with the effort of pulling his weapon free. When it came to brute strength, he had her beat; but she did not pause in initiating her next attack. She aimed for his left hand, the one clutched around the reins of his horse, and missed by a mere hair. When Lex next tried to strike her, he missed, but only partially – the long handle of his axe caught her shoulder, pushing her to the ground and sending her sword skittering away. Lex leapt off his horse and, towering over her, held the blade to her throat before she could move.

"Who the hell are you?" he said, his breathing hard.

She scowled. "Like I would tell you," she said, and kicked him hard in the shins. With a grunt of pain, Lex fell to his knees, infuriated.

"Like you could defeat me with a move like that!"

He caught her arm before she had time to scramble away. He pulled her back to the ground, pressing her down with his body, sliding the handle of his axe so it rested firmly upon her pale neck. He pinned her sword-hand helplessly to the ground.

"Looks like it is you who must prepare to die," he said softly. Blood pounded in his ears, both from the adrenaline of battle and the instinctive pleasure of feeling this woman helpless underneath him. He could not help but desire her. It was not simple lust, either; no, there was something about her that he had never sensed in any other woman.

It was then that he noticed her eyes. Even narrowed in battle-hardened hatred, they shone with tears, furious tears, true tears. Again Lex's mouth fell open, and he dropped his guard. How could he kill a crying woman, even if she was a soldier?

She did not miss her chance. She rolled out of his grip and dove for her sword, snatching it at once, whipping around to face him in her most powerful stance. She spat at the ground, ignoring the tears on her cheeks.

"There's no way I'll die," she growled.

Lex rose to his feet slowly. He couldn't imagine what she was fighting for, and for all that he had been dying to challenge her, he was now loath to finish the bout. He gritted his teeth and locked eyes with her. "Give up," he said. "Give up so I don't have to kill you."

"Don't patronize me!"

He realized belatedly that he could hardly have expected that to work. But it was no matter. She had chosen her fate – just as he had chosen his, to be here as a soldier, when he ran away from his home. He would not trade it for the world. If part of his new life was to kill a striking young woman, a soldier, then so be it. He would do it.

* * *

A princess. A goddamn _princess_. He winced every time he thought of it. He'd battled a swordfighting princess and pushed her to the ground like a common whore. Then again, she _had_ been trying to kill him, so perhaps it was fair.

Busy thoughts swirled around his head as he rounded a corner in Evans castle, talking absently with Azel, unaware of his surroundings.

And, of course, she was right there. She sat alone save for Prince Shanan, who was entertaining himself as children do, and she was staring blankly at the floor, her back straight, her posture sharp. At once Lex broke off his conversation, leaving Azel a little confused behind him.

She didn't look at him as he approached. So, praying that he wasn't about to get himself skewered – for she still had her sword, while he was weaponless – he sat down next to her, stretching and relaxing.

"What are you doing?" she asked without looking at him.

"Sitting down. I was tired of standing."

There was a short pause. Lex studied her as her blank stare turned pointed and angry, and she crossed her arms. "Just a few short hours ago, we were trying to kill each other. And now you're making small talk? What do you want?"

"Do you always assume the worst in people?" Lex asked, frustrated. "I just thought you could use the company. You look worried. You can trust Sigurd. He won't give you away. He's the kind of guy who can never tell a lie – and I know. I've spent a lot of time with royals in court, and I can tell the liars from the honest."

"For all I know, you could be lying to me," she hissed through gritted teeth. "What evidence do I have that you are an honest man? You nobles, you _men_, all of you – you're all the same. I was not sorry to leave the royal court, even if it meant leaving my family and my country behind. Finally I had the chance to be my own person, I thought – to be respected in my own right, as a fighter, not as a princess! But what happens? I meet you, and you only prove what I have believed all along! Men are rude and conceited, and nobles even more so. Especially here. Grandbell attacked Isaac, _my_ country, an innocent country, and for what?

"And you. What did you think when first you saw me? All I know is that soon enough you thought of me as nothing more than a whore, defenseless on the ground. And now you try to make amends, talking of all your _grand_ abilities, acting like you're some kind of _saint_ to befriend the lonely princess. You're a fool! I don't trust you, I don't trust any of you. Perhaps you bested me once in combat, but do not be so arrogant as to think it can happen again. I am only here to protect Prince Shanan, for I will not leave him in your hands, the hands of foolish nobles who will teach him only how to lie and kill. We may be of royal blood, but we are not like you. Do not presume to speak to me again in such a way, _Lord_ Lex, or it might be the last thing you will ever do."

She leapt to her feet and shooed Shanan down the hall ahead of her. Belatedly Lex realized that, as was becoming a common occurrence with this woman, he was staring open-mouthed. She turned up her chin and looked away, disdainful.

Quickly Lex stood up and followed her, grabbing her shoulder. "Wait! Aira, you've got it wrong."

At once, her sword was at his throat. "I thought I told you not to speak to me again."

"You said not to speak to you in _such a way_. I'm taking that to mean you don't like excessive displays of pride. _I_ don't believe I was excessive, but as you are the one with a weapon, I concede to your superior opinion."

Slowly, very slowly, she lowered her blade and sheathed it. "What? What do you want to say?"

Instinctively, Lex rubbed the back of his neck, searching for the right words. What _was_ he going to say? He'd had nothing in mind when he stopped her. He just didn't want her to leave thinking so poorly of him. At last he sighed, deciding on the truth. "You speak of the nobility with such disgust. I understand that. I am nobly born, but I left my family, because they were exactly the type of nobles you described. It repelled me, how people could lie and scheme like that, and never be thought less of for it. But I joined Sigurd because he's _not_ like that. You are nobly born, and you're a good person – blatantly honest, as I've just discovered – and you are not alone! Please, Aira… I may be a man, but I am an honest one. I came here to apologize. My conduct in our fight was instinctive, and largely unacceptable. If you would so oblige me, I would like to challenge you to a rematch."

She did not gape at him, like he had at her speech. His words weren't much in comparison to hers, he knew. But all the same, she seemed to soften to his silly grin.

"You are insufferable," she said, a hint of a smile at her lips as well. "A rematch then, Lex. You will not be as lucky as you were before. And… I am sorry, too, for trying so hard to kill you. Whenever it is that we will battle… prepare to be defeated."

With that, she took her leave, her back straight and her long, dark hair dancing behind her. Lex watched her until she disappeared around the corner, then smiled.

"Defeated…" he murmured under his breath. "Oh, I don't know about that."

* * *

As the slow days passed in the castle, Lex always kept one eye on Aira. He learned quite a bit about her through his discreet observances, her few but carefully chosen words, and their occasional sparring matches.

He learned that she was fiercely protective of Prince Shanan and fiercely proud of her strength. She'd cried during their first fight because she could bear the thought of failing in protecting her charge. In that, she would never change. But as time wore on, he noticed her becoming a little more trusting of the surrounding noble society. Lex liked to think it was due to him, of course, but he couldn't be sure, for she didn't initiate conversations with him very much. He was always the one to approach her. She didn't glare at him like she used to, at least.

Well, she didn't _often_ glare at him. For at the moment, her stare could melt steel. In his current position, though, he could not say that he wasn't surprised.

"What are you doing here?" she said. "This is my place – I found it first, I like the view! Move!"

"Is it really?" Lex said carelessly. He stretched out in the dip of the castle's turret. Here, on the tallest tower, he could see for miles, rolling plains and seas and forests and everything. The turret was just wide enough for two people to sit comfortably, but Lex was sitting sideways, his back against one wall and his feet against the other. "You could sit on my lap, if you like."

To his delight, a hot flush crept over her cheeks. She crossed her arms and turned up her chin stubbornly. "And why would I want to do that?"

"Oh, I don't know. I'm hoping you like me a least a little bit by now."

She responded by kicking him in the shins, forcing him to move or else risk falling off the edge.

"All right, all right, I'll scoot over!"

Her face still slightly pink, she sat down with her legs hanging over the edge. The sight made him a little bit nervous, but he deciding against saying anything about it. His shins were bruised enough already. As she gazed out at the scenery, she seemed to relax a little bit; her face softened, but her shoulders and her posture remained tense. Lex sighed.

"You're a very stubborn person, you know that?"

She nodded. "Lex, I have a question for you."

"Ask away."

"Why aren't you going back to your home castle? The fighting has been quiet for some time… and they may be nobility, but they are your family." Her gaze dropped to the ground, far below. "You should never desert your family."

Something in her tone made Lex look closely at her, but her face revealed nothing. Were she and Shanan all she had left of her family? Shanan was her brother's son, but Aira cared for him as if he were her own… So here was something else he had learned about her. She missed her family, her home, after all.

He, on the other hand, did not.

"I find that it's far more comfortable here," he said smoothly. "And… more importantly… there's a girl here who's piqued my interest."

At once – as he had planned – her cheeks lit up pink. Her eyes flickered up to meet his, her gaze a little confused. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but said nothing, and Lex couldn't resist teasing her.

"Oh, you thought I meant _you_ just now, didn't you?" he said cheerfully.

She glowered at him. If she'd had a sword, Lex was quite certain she would have run him through on the spot. But he couldn't tell her anything just yet. Surely he didn't _like_ her, or anything, she was just… fascinating.

"With you here, I won't get bored," he continued. "The first time we fought… I had never experienced that kind of thrill before. I don't want to lose that opportunity, you see. You're a fierce opponent."

Just before she looked away, he glimpsed a strange warmth in her eyes, a relaxed air about her that he hadn't noticed before. She fixed her dark eyes on the horizon, and Lex was content to sit with her in comfortable silence.

Maybe – just maybe – she was finally settling in.

* * *

Lex kept one eye on Aira's retreating figure as he examined the little trinket she had just pressed into his hand. It was so uncharacteristically _adorable_, for her to approach him like that, her cheeks flaming and her words hurried. She'd barely met his eyes. But all the same, her tone was sharp and direct as she'd explained to him what it was that he now held. She hadn't lost her pride.

It was a tiny ring, made with her own shiny black hair, tightly braided and cleanly fixed to a small bluish gemstone, set in metal. _If you weave a ring with a turquoise gem and the hair of a strong warrior, the wearer will not die in the coming battle._

So she _did_ care for him in her own way, after all. It was perfect timing, as well – just when he'd been talking to Azel, hoping that his friend would help him watch out for her, Aira had approached with the intention of helping to protect Lex. Not that he needed it, of course, but he appreciated it all the same.

Lex attempted to slip the ring on his smallest finger, but even then, his hand was too big. There was no chance that it would fit. Thinking for a moment, Lex pulled a long, loose thread from the end of his tunic, and slipped the ring onto it. He tied the string around his neck, and let the ring slip beneath his shirt to rest on his chest, right above his heart. He rather liked the feeling. A soft smile touched his lips involuntarily, and he hoped fervently that Azel wasn't still watching. It wouldn't do for anyone to see him so sentimental.


	2. II

The next time she saw him, he was grinning as foolishly as he ever did. With their usual banter, he finally offered to help fix her tent; she'd never camped out like this before. His smile was infectious, his good cheer palpable. But that wasn't what caught her attention.

It was his hands.

They were large and roughly calloused, confident as they fixed her tent, but they were bare. She'd thought – perhaps hoped, perhaps foolishly believed – that he would have been wearing the ring she'd given him. Though, to be fair, in her embarrassment – a feeling that she was not accustomed to, but she had learned to expect unexpected things when she was around Lex – she _had_ told him that he could throw it away if he didn't need it.

But she didn't think he would actually do it. Surely he kept it! He could not have found out its true meaning, could he? If he knew a ring such as that was commonly used a lover's token… would he have thrown it away then?

"All done!"

Aira jumped at his voice. He glanced up, grinning broadly, but his face fell a little when he noticed her expression. "Something wrong?" he said.

"No! Nothing!"

Obviously, he didn't believe her. He stood up and was very close to her now, their faces inches apart, though he was quite a bit taller. She tilted her head, unable to break away from his gaze. He narrowed his eyes a little bit, studying her. "You look absolutely furious."

She crossed her arms, not trusting herself to answer. After a very long moment, Lex took his leave, waving casually over his shoulder and calling out a very plain farewell.

_Men,_ Aira thought bitterly, furious at herself now for apparent incapability to _speak_ whenever Lex drew close to her like that. _They're all the same, arrogant, conceited, fools –_

"Lady Aira, do you like Lord Lex?"

It was Lachesis. Aira jumped at the question, and immediately felt her cheeks burn. "No!"

Lachesis, in her innocent beauty, looked a little confused. "But you're so relaxed when you're with him. Don't fight that."

Relaxed? Almost every word that passed between their lips was an argument of some sort, even if they were always light and teasing. But, then again… he was the first person to be kind to her, to speak truthfully to her, to respect her. Could that all mean something more? She kept thinking back to that day, their first battle, when at some point, they'd both had their blades at the other's throat. What if she had killed him then? Where would she be now? She nearly shivered at the thought – no Lex, no playful banter, no cheeky smile.

"He wouldn't like me," she murmured, almost to herself. "Our countries are at war. I'm not… feminine, like you, or Deirdre, or Ethlin."

"So you're just going to give up?" Lachesis fired up at once. "Make him notice you. Whenever you're near him. The person I love is far away… and I would give anything to have him here, beside me, like Lex is beside you."

A dark, sad look passed over her face. Aira struggled to sort out her own thoughts. Love? Surely they were not discussing love. But even amongst her own worries, a surge of worry and feeling for Lachesis, looking so sad and lonely, welled inside her.

But Aira could think of nothing comforting to say. Eventually, with a nod of farewell, Lachesis left, leaving Aira alone with nothing to do but contemplate her mysterious words.

* * *

This was it, then. He knew. Shanan, in his boyish arrogance, had just talked on and on and – now Lex knew. What a fool she was.

Aira dashed away as fast as she could. She barely noticed where she was going, feeling only the wind against her face, the ground beneath her feet. Faster and faster she ran, until she reached the top of the castle, her favorite turret, and there was really nowhere left to go. Now what? What was she to do? She could not bear facing him. Her pride would not allow such ridicule from all the others, for doing something so foolish as making a lover's token. A lover's token, nonetheless, that he had simply thrown away.

Aira closed her eyes tight to stop herself from crying. She was too strong to cry. She would not let herself be ruled by this silly fancy, this stupid man. _She_ would be the master of herself and her emotions.

"You had to run… all the way to the top, didn't you?"

Aira whipped around. Lex was there, his hands on his knees, bent over to catch his breath. His face shone pink with exertion. At once, Aira turned away again, refusing to look at him. She couldn't stand the thought of the mockery that was to come.

"Please, Aira… turn around?"

His voice was cautious and hesitant. It was a request, not an order. But still she could not comply.

"Why did you follow me?" she said angrily. "Don't lie! I hate people like you – people who lie, who just throw away trust – who laugh and tease, but in the end, it's all – it's all – I hate it!"

"What are you talking about?"

She could hardly breathe for the exertion of her own rage, at him, at herself. Mostly herself. Her whole body filled with the heat of it, some of it spilling out in hot tears, and she couldn't stand it. "I hate people like you!" she said again.

Silence. A very long, thick silence, broken only by the pounding of her own heart inside her head.

"Is that the case?" Lex said quietly. He was closer behind her now, as if he had approached when she was shouted, and she hadn't even noticed. "If that's so… then there's no point in me keeping this ring, is there?"

_The ring._

At once Aira turned, eyes wide. Lex stood tall before her, and in a smooth movement he pulled open his tunic shirt, revealing his chest and the woven-hair ring hanging from a thread around his neck. Before Aira could say a word, he grabbed it and ripped it off, his eyes never leaving hers as he threw his arm back, ready to toss it off the tower.

"No! Stop!"

Desperately Aira grabbed at his raised wrist. In one breathless moment, the thread necklace with the ring on it left his hand, and Aira caught it tightly in her fist. Without a second's delay, Lex's hand closed around hers, while his other arm wrapped around her shoulders, holding her close. Suddenly she found herself pressed against him, immobilized, breathless, the ring she had given him digging into her palm. His face was so close that she could feel his breath warmly on her cheek.

And then, before she could move, before she could speak, he kissed her. He tangled his hand in her hair, squeezed her hand, kissed her lightly until she remembered how to relax, how to breathe.

"You know…" Lex said softly, very nonchalant, his lips brushing against hers. "This ring…. it's tailored to fit your finger, isn't it? It wouldn't even fit on my pinky. Did you really think I'd throw it away?"

Even now, his voice had a teasing note to it. But Aira found she did not care. She flushed, placing her head on his chest and listening to his rapid heartbeat. "I'm sorry," she said, embarrassed once again. "I shouldn't have thought so poorly of you. I'm sorry."

His arms encircled her warmly. He murmured into her hair now. "I forgive you."

"I wonder sometimes… what would have happen if I killed you, the day we first met," Aira said. "It scares me. I hated everyone here… They were all from Grandbell, the enemy of my country, of _me_. I was so alone in this army, except… except when you were here. Because of you, I learned to embrace something other than hatred." Aira pulled away from him a bit and slipped the thread back around his neck, tying it briskly. He watched her as she laid the ring gently back to rest on his chest, then he tilted her chin up with his hand, meeting her eyes.

"I'm glad I could be of assistance to you," he murmured, and kissed her again. Aira had never felt anything quite like it. She had never before experienced this bubbling warmth in her chest, the powerful sense of peace and comfort from being in his arms, the taste of his lips against her own. It sent a thrill through her body like adrenaline in a battle. Lex drew away slowly, leaving her longing for more, and wondering what all she could give.

"I am at your service," he said.

Aira smiled.


End file.
